Fathers and Daughters
by tentsubasa
Summary: A collection of three stories in honor of Father's Day, obviously focusing on the relationship between fathers and daughters because, well, I'm a girl. It is Kazuki Hihara x Kahoko Hino, but the stories center more on the relationships between the fathers and their daughters than the one between the two of them.
1. I Loved Her First

**These are three songs that I wish I had been able to use at my own wedding in some capacity, but wasn't able to. I think the decisions my husband and I made were for the best though, so I'm glad I can do something special with them even if it's a couple years later. (^_^) **

**I hope you will enjoy them! I just bawled my eyes out listening to them over and over again as I was writing. I hope you will be touched by these beautiful songs with their clean, meaningful lyrics set to simple music that tugs at your heart.**

**Leading us off this Father's Day will be Kahoko Hino and her father to Heartland's "I Loved Her First." This was a song that my friend used as her father-daughter dance, and it was the first song that ever made me think about what song I would want to have as my father-daughter dance song in the future.**

**Youtube: youtube…com/watch?v=MXhJ3oCg3K8**

**Youtube Alternative: yallwire…com/player/heartlandilovedherfirst…html (If it adds a bitrate blah blah blah thing after the provided URL, delete it. For some reason it made the video not load for me.)**

**Thoughts will be in italics within quotes and song lyrics will be in bold.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own ****_Kiniro no Corda_****, the songs used in this story, or any of their affiliates.**

* * *

Takeo Hino's eyes were solemn as they watched his daughter and her boyfriend standing together under the tangerine tree in the backyard.

"Come away from the door," his wife scolded.

He simply shook his head, his eyes not leaving the pair for a second. They narrowed slightly. "He's going to do it."

Ryouko frowned. "Even more reason for you to not watch them."

Ignoring her, he suddenly chuckled. "He's botching it." He could tell even without hearing them.

His other two children and their spouses joined him on the porch.

"Would he be Hihara-kun if he weren't?" Shou smirked.

Noriko laughed and motioned her mother to join them. "Mom, you have to see this. The look on Kaho's face is priceless."

"I don't think I've ever seen her look so confused," Noriko's husband agreed with a chuckle.

"Give them some privacy," Ryouko scolded, though she was also sneaking glances over her shoulder at the pair.

"Oh! Looks like he's really panicking now," Shou laughed as the green-haired youth outside began windmilling his arms around in all directions as if by doing so, he could somehow erase the last ten seconds of his life. They all agreed the tall boy's face had reached an all-new level of red.

Takeo's gaze sharpened when understanding dawned in his daughter's eyes. Then, with a creeping blush on her cheeks, she placed a quieting finger on his lips and murmured something to him.

Everyone held their breaths as he abruptly dropped onto _both_ knees and held out a small, open box to the girl in question with hands that trembled uncontrollably.

And released them when a smile more beautiful than the first day of spring bloomed across her face.

Takeo's eyes stung as the boy ecstatically hoisted his Kahoko into the air and began to spin her around like a crazy person as she laughed.

**Look at the two of you dancing that way**

His smile turned bittersweet as the spins came to a slow, lazy halt, the young man gently lowering the young woman back to the ground and leaning his forehead sweetly against hers.

**Lost in the moment and each other's face**

Everyone's hearts stopped when his shaky butterfingers lost the ring, and resumed again when the diamond solitaire triumphantly caught the soft moonlight.

**So much in love you're alone in this place**

With a shy smile, she joined him on the ground, and he took her hand and slipped the delicate, sparkling band on her finger.

**Like there's nobody else in the world**

After everyone had left, Takeo sat with an old photo album open on his lap. While Kahoko's life was not as well documented as the other two's—understandable seeing as she was the youngest—there was still a large number of pictures of her due to his and his wife's complimentary interests in photography and scrapbooking. He smiled softly as he flipped through the pages. Playing dress-up with her sister. Learning to swim. Her first sleepover party at age ten. A silly picture where they took pictures of each other taking the picture. When he was looking over Kahoko's unsuccessful attempts to conquer bicycle riding, he heard a soft bump and low moan of pain.

He got up with a concerned furrow in his brow and walked over to the stairs where his daughter was rubbing her ankle. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," she responded, "just missed the last couple of steps."

"Ice?"

"Please?" She gave him an embarrassed smile.

**I was enough for her not long ago**

He chuckled and headed for the kitchen. He expertly pulled down the ice and wrapped it up. Kahoko had always been kind of clumsy, so he'd had to take care of a lot of bumps, scrapes, and cuts over the years. Between her and Shou, their home had had a constant need for first aid. It was amusing, exasperating, and occasionally, like the time she had broken her leg, frightening. His lips thinned. He was grateful there had only been a couple of times that he'd had to rush her to the hospital like that.

When he came back into the room, he saw that she had navigated her way to the couch and was looking through a more recent photo album. His eyes softened as he watched her. Even the physical pain couldn't dim the happy glow. As he sat down beside her, he handed her the pack. "Ice."

"Thanks, Dad."

His eyes twinkled as she iced her ankle. "It's a good thing Hihara-kun plays sports. Klutzy as you are, he's going to have his work cut out for him." His lips twitched in response when she made a face at him, and his eyes went solemn. "So what brings you down here? Can't sleep?"

"Nope," she shook her head, "too excited."

He looked down at the album. "Even though I knew he might ask you tonight, it's still a bit of a shock."

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted," she mock-pouted. "Did you think I'd never get married?"

He shrugged and flipped to photos of her twentieth birthday party. "I admit your mother and I wondered about it a bit. All those boys came to your party and you claimed you weren't interested in any of them like that."

**I was her number one**

"What did I need them for?" she joked as she leaned her head companionably on his shoulder. "I had you."

**She told me so**

His lips quirked. "You've certainly changed your tune since then." His eyes went pensive again. "Has it really only been six years?"

Kahoko smiled softly as she traced the contours of her beloved's face in the photograph. "A lot has changed, hasn't it?"

**And she still means the world to me just so you know**

He grinned and teased, "I'll say. What happened to my innocent little girl who always got flustered around boys?" He chuckled at her embarrassed look. "And now here you are getting married to one."

She bowed her head with a blush and admitted, "It's a little hard for me to wrap my head around too."

"Oh?"

"I was always kind of slow when it came to the romance department."

"Unlike Noriko."

"Yeah. She had boyfriends in high school and college." Kahoko smiled a little wistfully. "Honestly, I kind of wanted to be like her and find someone then too, but there was never anyone I was interested in. Then I met all of them as a second-year, and there were too many choices." She blushed a little more deeply. "Not that I thought of it like that; I mean I was also introduced to music, and that was where I started channeling all of my energy." Her fingers continued to draw invisible patterns on the album. "So, romance and boys took a backseat."

"What changed?"

"I don't really know. I don't think I became less passionate about music or anything," she shrugged. "I just started noticing that I had feelings that couldn't be safely classified as friendship."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Is that why you chose him?"

**So be careful when you hold my girl**

Now she looked a strange mixture of confused and guilty. "Not exactly. For some reason, I was having feelings like that pop up at random times with everyone. It was actually really confusing."

He raised an eyebrow. This was the first he was hearing of this. He suddenly felt a little sorry for Hihara-kun. It sounded like it had been a pretty long and rough road for the poor guy, not to mention the others.

Her face glowed softly from within as she looked down at the photographs. "But whenever I was down and needed someone to help pick me up, I'd go to him. He always knew how to make me happy again, whether it be by talking, eating something yummy, winning a plushy for me from a claw machine, or what, I would never leave his company without a smile." Her eyes gentled. "And as time went by, I found myself seeking happiness more and more."

**Time changes everything**

She smiled beautifully as a misty rose suffused her cheeks. "Then, one day, I realized I was in love."

He smiled and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I'm glad."

The two talked and laughed for a little longer as they flipped through the pages of time.

**Life must go on**

He paused and contemplated a picture from a couple weeks prior. Though no one else knew it, that had been the day Hihara-kun had asked him for her hand. He shook his head. While he had known it would be Hihara-kun if it was going to be anyone, considering that it had taken the guy nine _years_ to confess and for them to start dating, he was _not_ expecting the boy to come to him not even a year-and-a-half later asking if he could marry his daughter. That Takeo was floored would be the understatement of the century.

**And I'm not gonna stand in your way**

A soft snore pulled him back from his thoughts, and he chuckled quietly when he saw that she had dropped off next to him. He smiled gently and picked her up. With a contented little sigh, she curled up and snuggled her head on his shoulder.

**But I loved her first, and I held her first**

As he slowly mounted the steps up to her room, he looked down at his little girl. How many times had he made this same trek over the years? If she was tired enough, she'd drop off to sleep anywhere regardless of what she was doing.

**And a place in my heart will always be hers**

He laid her down on her bed and tucked the covers under her chin like he had when she was little. Her breathing ebbed and flowed in a steady, even rhythm.

**From the first breath she breathed**

He brushed a hand tenderly on her head and bent down to drop a kiss on it. His eyes softened as she snuggled into her pillow and succumbed to the land of dreams with a shadow of a smile on her lips.

**When she first smiled at me**

He paused as he turned to leave and slipped over to a collection of picture frames filled with her sunny smile at various stages of life. He still remembered each and every one perfectly, the moments etched into his memory like the cut of a diamond on clear glass.

**I knew the love of a father runs deep**

He picked up Kahoko's favorite picture of her and Hihara-kun, and in the blink of an eye, Takeo was escorting her down the aisle of the church toward her soon-to-be husband and her new life with him.

**And I prayed that she'd find you someday**

Well, he was, but he wasn't. It was only the rehearsal, so instead of the formal attire they'd be wearing tomorrow, everyone was dress casual. And he wasn't actually giving her away quite yet, he thought with somewhat relieved sigh. That would come tomorrow. His eyes went slightly unfocused. Tomorrow…it was so soon.

**But it's still hard to give her away**

Kahoko squeezed his hand to bring him back to the present and beamed up at him. "Isn't this wonderful? I can't believe it!" her eyes sparkled.

He smiled gently and proudly and squeezed her hand in return.

**I loved her first**

The officiant showed the two of them how they'd stand and explained very seriously the order of ceremony and when they were to speak and where they were to stand, etc., etc.. They were both understandably nervous, but their happy excitement shone like a beacon.

**How could that beautiful woman with you**

A wistful look filled his eyes as Takeo looked at the two adults hold hands in preparation for the morrow. Who would have thought that itty-bitty girl who was always clumsily following after her older siblings would have bloomed into the beautiful, confident young woman before him?

**Be the same freckle-faced kid that I knew**

His eyes glazed over a bit as memories and moments rushed past him in a steady stream. Like how six-year-old Kahoko had always insisted that he read the same fairy tale bedtime story over and over again. First it had been "The Magic Tea Kettle." Then a few months later it moved to "The Princess and the Cowherd." And so on and so forth until he had practically all of Japanese folklore committed to memory.

**The one that I read all those fairy tales to**

And how he and his wife would have to come in and fix the covers in the middle of the night because she had kicked them off, or how she'd come to him in the night begging him to come and chase away the goblins lurking at the windows.

**And tucked into bed all those nights**

His gaze moved over to his soon-to-be son-in-law as his amber eyes brimmed with love and adoration. He smiled. He really loved her.

**And I knew the first time I saw you with her**

When she had first brought him home, she claimed that he was only a friend. And perhaps she believed that he was, but you'd have to be both deaf and blind (or just Kahoko) to not see that he wanted to be far more than just her friend.

**It was only a matter of time**

Of course, only the two of them couldn't tell that Kahoko felt the same. He swallowed a chuckle and felt a quietly mournful sense of loss overtake him. Tomorrow he would be happy, but for now, he'd take a moment to acknowledge that even if his daughter would always be a little girl in his eyes, in reality, she was a little girl no longer.

**But I loved her first, and I held her first**

He watched his youngest and remembered the first time he had held her in that hospital room. She had been the first to inherit the golden irises from his side of the family. He had been tickled pink when she opened those large eyes and blearily blinked back at him.

**And a place in my heart will always be hers**

And as he stood there holding her, he was humbled and amazed again that he could instantly love another human being as completely as he loved his other two children. She was perfect, just like the other two, from the top of her head to the tips of those ten itty-bitty toes.

**From the first breath she breathed**

She yawned and snuggled up to him as he watched in wonder like he'd never seen a baby sleep before. Pride, joy, awe, tenderness, and love washed over him. She was beautiful.

**When she first smiled at me**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The next morning flew by like a blur until everything slowly slid into focus as father and daughter stood outside the closed chapel doors.

"Ready?" Kahoko asked as she slipped her arm into her father's with a radiant smile.

He gave a deep nod and squeezed her hand. "Let's do this."

The two stepped as one toward the doors, and they gave way before them. Heads swiveled to the back like the ripple of the wind across the water. And as the first strains of the processional began, people rose up around them.

Takeo slid his eyes over to the vision in white beside him and felt a smile tug at his lips.

**I knew the love of a father runs deep**

His eyes moved up front to see Kazuki-san as he watched his daughter approach, then back to her as she gazed straight into his eyes. It was all there for the world to see. All the joy, confidence, and eagerness to start a life with the person they loved; their faces lit up with their youthful promises and dreams.

**And I prayed that she'd find you someday**

As Kazuki-san's eyes met his, he went military straight and snapped into a deep bow as if his body had become some kind of table. Takeo hadn't realized anyone could actually get his back that flat. With a chuckle and an amused glance at his daughter, he bowed as well. She giggled and tapped the young man on the shoulder, her face glowing with a gentle happiness. And when their eyes met, his face flushed with unadulterated joy.

**But it's still hard to give her away**

Takeo took in all these things with a slightly sad nod of approval. Then, with a squeeze of her hand, he passed it to his and stepped away.

**I loved her first**

As he watched his daughter give her vows, he could see a shadow of the little Kahoko of years past overlay itself on the radiant beauty in white. They smiled and laughed before his eyes.

**From the first breath she breathed**

Takeo felt a lump in his throat as Kazuki-san slipped on the ring that would make her his. The shadows of the girl melted away to give way for the woman as she slid his ring on in turn.

**When she first smiled at me**

He clapped loudly and proudly as the ceremony ended. She had moved forward into a new life and family. They belonged to each other now.

**I knew the love of a father runs deep**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Takeo's lips quirked as he watched Kazuki-san wear a rut in the linoleum floor of the hospital waiting room two years later. He would pace for a bit, look at the clock, sigh, stare at the door, repeat. The guy was so nervous he accidentally grabbed another man's pipe and blew into it like it was a trumpet. Takeo might've felt bad for the guy if it hadn't been so hilarious. But he could sympathize with him; after all, he himself remembered the mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement well.

**Someday you might know what I'm going through**

After a sixteen-hour battle, Takeo smiled with his arm around his wife as he watched the new parents: Kahoko tired but her face glowing with joy and pride, and the familiar awe crossing Kazuki-san's face as he gingerly held his newborn daughter.

**When a miracle smiles up at you**

Centering the little family of three in the frame, Takeo adjusted the lens. His eyes met Kahoko's as she cooed over her newborn, and she beamed at him. He grinned back. "Ready?"

"Yup." She nodded and held up the newborn. "Smile for the camera, Kanae."

Snap.

**I loved her first**

* * *

**I realized after I had written most of this that Kahoko's dad is kind of an original character. (x_x) But I feel like even if he was off-screen, he very likely existed since Kahoko's mother is a housewife, so maybe he's not completely an original character. "I Loved Her First" is very definitely a song from the father's point of view, so I tried to fit in Kahoko where I could, but I felt like this story couldn't be told from her point of view in this case. *shrugs*  
**

**I also took some inspiration from Chuck Wick's "Stealing Cinderella" (youtube: youtube…com/watch?v=9KHAaRxyuQk; youtube alternative: cmt****…**com/videos/chuck-wicks/183163/stealing-cinderella**…**jhtml), which is a father-daughter song told from the point-of-view of the future son-in-law. The future son-in-law goes to talk with the girl's father to ask for permission to marry his daughter and he sees a bunch of pictures of his girlfriend as she's growing up. The two talk, and he realizes that in the father's eyes, the daughter is still his little girl, not the young woman that the man sees, and that while she may love him, to his future father-in-law, he's stealing away his little girl. Give it a listen if you want. =)

**The next song will go up on June 25th, my wedding anniversary, with the final installation to appear on July 5th, the last day of my honeymoon. I'm going for all sentimental dates here. =P**


	2. Butterfly Kisses

**This time we have "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle. There will be times when things are spoken just as part of the song and and at other times as part of the main dialogue. Hopefully it will be obvious which is which, but if the dialogue is on the same line as other non-bold text, then it's part of the main dialogue. =D  
**

**Song lyrics are in bold, and thoughts will be in italics within quotes.**

**Youtube: youtube…com/watch?v=BHcqaDNOqyI**

**Youtube Alternative: godtube…com/watch/?v=92BCMCNU**

**The disclaimer from the first chapter still holds.**

* * *

Kazuki abruptly stopped reading when he realized his audience had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of "The Legend of the Moon Princess." With a small smile, he quietly stowed the book and dimmed the lights. The only sound to be heard in the room was the peaceful breathing evidenced by the subtle rise and fall of the blankets on the bed. Suddenly, a corner of the comforter violently flew into the air before flopping back in a crumpled heap as the bed's small occupant gave a restless toss. With an indulgent chuckle, Kazuki moved over and tucked his daughter back under the covers.

**There're two things I know for sure**

With a small sigh and a smile, six-year-old Kanae snuggled further into the land of sleep. She was in that kick-off-the-covers phase of life. He didn't really understand it since she'd promptly get cold and start groping for them in her sleep. Why make yourself cold?

**She was sent here from heaven  
And she's daddy's little girl**

She turned her head, and her mouth fell slightly open releasing a light snore. His face contorted as he smothered a laugh. She really was a chip off the old block. That was almost a perfect rendition of his own snoring which his brother had oh-so-kindly recorded and played for Kaho-chan not too long after they'd gotten engaged. The memory would have annoyed him if he hadn't been in the presence of perfection.

**As I drop to my knees by her bed at night**

He silently knelt down beside her bed and ran a hand affectionately through her hair, tucking a stray strand of cherry behind her ear. She must be tired. She hadn't even made it through one story. Well, they had had a pretty full day with the festival and all.

**She talks to Jesus, and I close my eyes**

His heart warmed as he watched his oldest sleep. Feeling nostalgic, he rested an elbow on the bed and marveled at her. Six-years-old and starting first grade on Monday, he couldn't believe it. She mumbled something in her sleep and his eyes softened.

**And I thank God for all of the joy in my life**

He had to be the happiest and luckiest guy on Earth. He was married to the love of his life, worked a job he loved, and had two beautiful children with one more on the way. Life had its ups and downs, of course, but right now, seeing how his little angel had grown up from that tiny little baby, a quiet feeling of contentment settled over him.

"Hey," he whispered softly, "guess what? You're going to be a big sister again soon, but this time you'll get a sister. How about that, huh? You'll continue to be a good big sister and help Mommy take care of the little ones, right?"

A small smile was his response.

He nodded. "Good." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, Kanae."

**Oh, but most of all…**

"Mmm…Daddy…?"

Whoops! Hiding his grimace, he leaned back and settled himself on the floor. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" he murmured softly.

**For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer**

"Mmmhmm…But you still need your good night kiss," she mumbled, the words slurred by sleep.

With a smile, he placed his head next to the pillow and let her lips touch his nose while her lashes fluttered. "G'night, Daddy. Love you," she yawned and turned over.

His heart swelled. "I love you too, Kanae," he whispered as he untangled the remnants of a daisy crown from some gnarled crimson strands. Just before he closed the door to her room, he murmured, "Sweet dreams."

**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**

He found his wife in the study on the computer the next morning. "Good morning, beautiful." He placed his hands gently on her shoulders as she looked over the pictures they'd taken.

She tipped her head back and grinned up at him with a tired smile. "Good morning, yourself." The baby had been restless this morning and didn't seem to care that her mother wanted to catch a few more winks of sleep.

"They were really tired out last night. Kanae went down like that." He snapped his fingers.

"Kazuya slept like a rock too. Maybe we should do this sort of thing more often," she joked. The adults had been just as tuckered out as the kids. Have you ever tried to keep track of a six-year-old and a three-year-old when you're surrounded by floods of people in an over stimulating environment? Not exactly a walk in the park.

He grinned with a twinkle in his eye and placed a hand on her swollen stomach. "Gotta wait for one more to join the party."

She rolled her eyes. "Goody, even more chaos."

They both laughed, and he pulled up a chair so he could look too.

**"Walk beside the pony, Daddy, it's my first ride"**

He raised his eyebrows when he saw one of him hoisting Kanae onto a horse when the family had gone to visit a relative who owned some stables out in Gifu the previous year. "Just how old are these?"

Kahoko kept clicking through pictures that walked through the events of Kanae's first time riding on a horse. She looked like she was having fun astride the chestnut beauty, but she kept a firm grip on her father's hand. "Mmm…maybe a year and a half? The memory card's so big, we haven't needed to clear it off in a while."

"I see," Kazuki murmured as he filched some of her half-eaten cake. His eyes suddenly bulged, and he quickly ran to the bathroom to rinse out his mouth. He pouted at the laugh she tried to smother. "I thought we had eaten all of that."

**"I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried"**

Kahoko shrugged. "This was the last slice." She looked at him sympathetically. "You'd worked so hard to eat as much of Kanae's…" she decided it would be unkind to tack on an adjective, "cake as you could that I didn't have the heart to make you eat any more."

He winced slightly. "Next time she gets it in her head to cook or bake, we should probably make sure one of us is around so she doesn't think the cake will turn out okay when she puts in half a tablespoon of salt instead of half a teaspoon."

"Or get the baking chocolate mixed up with the milk chocolate bars," she laughed. "Though that's fairly understandable."

**Oh, with all that I've done wrong **

Kazuki chuckled. "I didn't even realize there was such a thing as baking chocolate." He made a face and shuddered. "I think Kanae and I both know now, though. Ugh, salty _and_ bitter."

She smiled. "I thought it was sweet of her try and bake a cake to help me out."

"It was," he agreed proudly. "She's becoming pretty responsible. She's just still a little…."

"Scatterbrained," she finished. "A little something from her father's side…?" she teased.

"_And_ her mother's," he countered with a peck on the nose that made her giggle.

They heard the alarm beep next to them and smiled at each other.

**I must have done something right**

"Time to round up the troops. I'll get them dressed and ready," Kazuki said as he helped her on her feet.

"Thanks, I'll have hotcakes on the table by then." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Sounds great!" He grinned. "That should get them downstairs in a flash." He quickly mounted the stairs and knocked on his daughter's door before letting himself in. His smile shone to see she had hidden herself under the covers. She knew what was coming.

**To deserve a hug every morning **

He scratched his head and put on his most bewildered look. "Now where is Kanae? She should be in here somewhere…" he said aloud, eliciting a small giggle from the small mound on the bed. He made a lot of noise as he checked different hiding places and continued to wonder where his missing daughter had gone. Despite her attempts to smother the constant stream of laughter, the snickers, snorts, and titters just kept getting louder as the little hill on the bed shook.

Finally, the suspense got to be too much for her, and she hopped out of the bed and ran over to fling her arms around his neck. "I'm right here, Daddy!"

**And butterfly kisses at night**

"There you are!" he laughed as he bent down to give her a hard hug back. "Honestly, I need to remember to check the bed from now on." Rubbing noses, he grinned at her. "Now let's go get Kazuya. Mommy's making hotcakes this morning."

"Yay!" She dashed out the door to her brother's room.

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Anxious, he unlocked the front door and rushed in. "_I'm home!_" he called silently in his head. Hearing the telltale signs of life, he visibly relaxed—good, he wasn't too late—then slumped in exhaustion as he shucked off his shoes and sloughed off his coat. He ran a hand down his face to try and wipe away some of the tiredness from his eyes.

Catching sight of his son playing one of his zombie shooter video games in the dark living room, Kazuki silently tiptoed up behind him and scared a year's growth off of him when he grabbed him from behind. "Ahhh! Da-mmph." Kazuki quickly clapped his hands over Kazuya's mouth before he could reveal his presence. Then, with a conspiratorial wink, he motioned for silence and gave a nod in the general direction of his older sister's room.

Nodding in understanding, Kazuya flashed the famous Hihara grin and whispered, "Glad you're back."

Ruffling his hair affectionately, Kazuki stood and made his way up the stairs and down the hall to a room with a violin-shaped nameplate on it and knocked.

"Just a minute! Geez!"

He raised his eyebrows, but just shrugged and knocked again.

"We're coming! How many times do I have to tell you! Are you deaf?!"

He knocked again with a frown.

"Stop it, Kazuya!"

He couldn't help but grin. That explained it. Of course his son had already been here driving his sisters crazy. He shouldn't have expected any less. He began to rap on the door again when it violently gave way under his fist.

**Sweet 16 today**

"I swear! If you keep this up, I'm going to make you wish you'd never been—Dad!" She stared at him like she was seeing a ghost.

"Daddy! Daddy!" His youngest flew away from her mother's side to throw her arms around his neck.

With a large smile, he twirled her around in the air, sending her green pigtails flying. It was good to be home again. "How's my little girl?"

"I'm not little," Kasumi pouted. "I'm almost ten."

"Well then, you're far too old for me to be holding you now, aren't you?" he teased as he put her down.

Kanae was still staring at him like a fish out of water.

"No hug? Not even a 'Hi, Dad'?" He feigned a hurt look.

"Uh, right." She nodded mechanically and gave him a hug. "Hi, Dad." When she pulled away, she still looked really confused. "But-but how? And why? Aren't-aren't you supposed to be in Hokkaido until Monday?"

He smiled down at his oldest. "And miss both the most important performance of my daughter's life _and_ her birthday? Not a chance."

All his tiredness melted away as he basked in the sunshine of her smile. All the hassle he'd had to go through to cut his trip short had been completely and totally worth it.

**She's looking like her Mama  
A little more everyday**

He beamed back at her mother as she smiled approvingly. His eyes moved between the two redheads, and he got a funny look in his eyes. The differences were there, but the similarities were striking.

"Ah," he fished a small, flat box out of his pocket, "Happy Birthday!" He grinned. "I bought it in Hokkaido. I hope you like it."

**One part woman, the other part girl**

She eagerly ripped open the paper with childlike excitement. "Oh, Daddy!" she gasped and gave him a big hug.

"Let me see!" Kasumi demanded.

Kanae smiled and knelt down to show her the hair clips with small, white porcelain cherry blossoms on them.

"Ooh! Sparkly! Are you going to wear them tonight?"

Kanae held them up to her mother. "What do you think, Mom?"

Kahoko nodded her approval. "White goes with everything."

"I think they'll look really pretty." Kasumi swayed happily in her light pink dress.

Kanae nodded and caught Kasumi's hand. "Let's finish getting ready, okay?"

"Yup!"

**To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls**

Kazuki leaned back and watched the women go through their mysterious make-up ritual. Since it was a special, grown-up event, Kaho-chan was helping Kasumi put on make-up too. He chuckled, remembering how awful Kanae had looked when she had gotten into Kaho-chan's make-up the first time. He watched her expertly apply some black pencil thing to her eyes with a slightly sad quirk of the lips. Nine years had certainly changed things.

**Trying her wings out in a great big world**

When she walked onto the stage, she squared her shoulders and bowed. He could tell she was nervous.

"_Come on, Kanae!_" he cheered in his head. "_You can do this!_"

**But I remember…**

He watched her take three calming breaths like he had taught her to and relax. "_Atta girl._" And with a quick slice of her bow, she was off. His eyes never strayed as his little girl filled the concert hall with her own special brand of music. And when she finished, nobody clapped and cheered more loudly and proudly than him.

**Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer**

The rhinestones in her new clips caught the light as she proudly accepted her second-place trophy.

**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**

When she walked out in street clothes with a tired, but proud look on her face, he pulled her in for a hug and hoisted her trophy up high. "You did great! We're so proud of you!" After the rest of the family offered their congratulations, including a tackle-hug from Kasumi, he asked, "Cake and ice cream to celebrate?"

"Actually," she hesitated briefly, "some of the others wanted to go do karaoke for a bit. Can I go too?"

**"You know how much I love you, Daddy, but if you don't mind"**

He paused to look over at the group of teenagers laughing and talking, and then at his wife, who smiled and nodded. "Sure." He smiled and pulled some money out of his wallet. "Have fun! Make sure you're back by ten-thirty. We'll do cake then."

"Thanks, Dad." And with a wave, she was off.

**"I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time"**

Turning to his other two children, he asked, "Shall we pick up some ice cream for later, then?"

"Yes!" Kazuya fist-pumped.

"Let's get strawberry!" Kasumi clapped.

"No, chocolate," the thirteen-year-old argued.

**Oh, with all that I've done wrong**

"Strawberry!"

"Chocolate!"

"Strawberry!"

"Chocolate!"

"I think we should get _Kanae's_ favorite," Kahoko broke in with a warning tone, and at their chastised faces, she added, "and some Neapolitan."

**I must have done something right **

Kazuki grinned and took her hand. "Shall we go?"

Kasumi nodded and latched onto his free hand, while Kazuya walked slightly ahead of them. Thirteen is too cool to be hanging around his kid sister after all.

**To deserve her love every morning**

As they left, Kazuki snuck a glance back and smiled to see Kanae chatting excitedly with her friends. Catching his eye, she smiled warmly back at him and gave a little wave.

**And butterfly kisses at night**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

He let out an ear-piercing whistle as she accepted her third-place trophy in the national solo competition her senior year. When they got home, it joined her other trophies, including her first-place prefectural trophy and the mark of her victory in the Seiso music competition.

**All the precious time**

They all had a party in the backyard to celebrate her high school graduation. And just a few short months later, he kissed her good-bye at the airport when she and her mother went to go move her in for college at the same conservatory Tsukimori-kun had studied at.

**Oh…**

Kaho-chan had to keep him from rushing over to Vienna to bring her back every time she called home sobbing about how homesick she was.

**Like the wind, the years go by**

His heart sank a bit when she told them she was planning to accept a job in Vienna as part of an orchestra. He missed her.

**Precious butterfly**

The five of them went on a three-week European tour when they flew over for her graduation. And just a couple of years later, he proudly framed a newspaper article lauding her as a rising star.

**Spread your wings and fly**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Kahoko zipped up Kanae's dress and smiled. Standing next to her, she looked at their reflection in the mirror.

As always, there are good and bad things whenever there's any mixing in the gene pool. Kanae had bloomed into a beautiful young woman with her mother's delicate features and her father's soulful eyes and easy smile. Looks-wise, she was truly the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, she somehow managed to inherit both her mother's and father's individual brands of denseness. Kahoko quickly counted her blessings. It was honestly nothing short of a miracle that she had gotten to this point.

They both smiled and turned when they heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Kanae called.

Kazuki stepped into the room and froze.

**She'll change her name today**

The vision in white smiled and held out her hand. "Hi, Dad."

He gulped and moved forward to squeeze it. "I-I can't believe it. It's…it's really happening."

**She'll make a promise**

Kanae looked at once exasperated and embarrassed. "Oh, Dad, did you really think I'd never get married?"

Kahoko bit back a laugh as she remembered a similar conversation with her own father.

**And I'll give her away**

"No," he shook his head slowly, "it's not that. I just…I guess I didn't expect it to come so soon."

Kanae laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh Dad, I'm almost thirty. Hardly speedy."

**Standing in the Bride Room just staring at her**

His wife sent him an understanding smile and started handing Kanae accessories as Kasumi took pictures. He felt like a stranger as he watched the women bustle and fuss.

**She asked me what I'm thinking**

Kanae looked over with a bit of concern. "You've been pretty quiet. What is it?"

**And I said, "I'm not sure"  
"I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl"**

He gave her a brave smile. "I'm not sure. I guess…I guess I just…" he took a deep breath and said, "I just feel like I'm about to lose you…or something."

Her eyes misted. "Oh, Daddy…." **She leaned over**.

He cracked a smile when he felt her lips touch his nose, and felt tears sting his eyes as her lashes fluttered against his skin. His girl. His little girl.

**Gave me butterfly kisses with her Mama there**

As she drew away, Kahoko placed the last star of Bethlehem in her hair and smiled. "Finished."

**Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair**

She picked up the flow of tulle and motioned her daughter to come over. "Just one thing left."

He watched silently as Kanae bent down and let her mother fasten in the veil. Then, with a kiss on the cheek, the blusher came down.

Turning to her father, Kanae held out her hand. **"Walk me down the aisle, Daddy; it's just about time**.**"**

All he could do was stare at her. Was this really Kanae? Could this beautiful woman before him really be that perfect little baby from all those years ago?

**And, "Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy?"**

"Well?" She smiled inquiringly.

"You…you look beautiful, Kanae," he choked out. A tear fell from his eyes. Then another and another. He couldn't make them stop.

**"Daddy, don't cry!** Oh, please don't cry! I'm going to start too,**"** Kanae's voice caught.

"No, no, no!" Kasumi rushed over and started fanning her sister's face. "You'll ruin the pictures!"

**Oh, with all that I've done wrong **

Kazuki sniffed and gave Kanae a watery smile. "You're getting married. I can't believe it." Kazuki squeezed her hands. "My little girl getting married." He sucked in a breath and tried to compose himself. "Alright, I think I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He offered her his arm with a brave smile. "Let's do this."

**I must have done something right**

She laughed and took his arm readily, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

His heart warmed to see it. All the joy, confidence, and eagerness to start a life with the man she loved glowed on her face making her radiant. He remembered the same giddy nervousness when it had been his turn years ago.

**To deserve her love every morning**

Right before the doors to the chapel opened, she squeezed his arm in a hug. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?"

She grinned and nodded with tears at the corners of her eyes. "You bet."

**And butterfly kisses**

His heart swelled when he looked at her out of the corner of his eye as they walked down the long road of red.

**I couldn't ask God for more**

His daughter grown up and getting married, he couldn't believe it. He was so happy, so proud, and yet somehow feeling such a sense of loss that he wanted to cry from the sheer ache of it.

**Man, this is what love is**

Kazuki's eyes moved over to his very-soon-to-be son-in-law. No matter how many times they met, it never failed to give him a jolt. It was so weird to see Tsukimori-kun's face with Shouji-san's brown hair and misty teal eyes.

The young man solemnly bowed to him, and he gulped, returning the gesture as he remembered when he had been standing in his place. And now—he looked at his daughter as her eyes glowed with love for the man whose face had softened in return—here he was now giving his own daughter away.

**I know I gotta let her go**

Kanae's eyes met his right before he stepped away, and he saw the Kanaes of the past flash before his eyes. He touched his fingers to his lips and blew a kiss goodbye to the girl of the past and one of good luck to the woman of the present and future.

**But I'll always remember…**

Her eyes misted. "I love you," she mouthed.

He blinked hard to keep from breaking down, and with a final nod, he stepped back to join his wife in the front pew. They looked at each other, squeezed hands, and watched their daughter take her first step in her new life.

**Every hug in the morning**

At the end of the reception, he stood outside and waved until their car drove out of sight. Then, he sighed and let the swirl of joy and loss churn within him for a bit until he sensed his wife come up beside him. "She's gone now," he stated as she took his hand.

**And butterfly kisses…**

"At least we still have Kasumi," Kahoko murmured with a soft smile.

"Yes," Kazuki nodded, but looked wistfully over at his green-haired daughter as she bid good-bye to a tall boy with dark green hair and clear blue eyes with a smile. "But for how much longer?"

* * *

**To me, "Butterfly Kisses" will always be ****_the_**** father-daughter song. I think I probably first heard it at a father-daughter dance in elementary school, and I just fell in love with it. Originally, this was going to lead off the series, but then I had an idea for "I Loved Her First" that I thought would work nicely for Kahoko and her father.**

**Alright, I'm going to go and spend the rest of the day with my husband now (once he wakes up XD). (^_^) Bye bye.**


	3. Cinderella

**I'm starting to think I should just avoid putting due dates on my chapters/stories altogether as I just seem to keep making a liar out of myself. I'm slowly becoming a person of no integrity. (T_T) **

**I'm so sorry for the very late update. A combination of traveling, visiting with friends who will be moving to the other side of the country soon, work, and writer's block is to blame, but mostly it's that the ****_Million People of Corda_**** game is a complete and total life-eater. They have had…four different limited-time events almost back-to-back, and of ****_course_**** they feature all-new story lines that are related to current events in Japan and will only be here for the specific two-week window they've carved out. (;-_-) **

**The most recent one was for Marine Day, a Japanese national holiday that's observed the third Monday in July (July 21 this year). I was thinking of passing on this one after almost killing myself for the Midsummer Night's Dream event (where all the guys switched bodies for a day) since I wouldn't really be able to play the first two days because of traveling, but when they said that Kahoko would be going on a date to the seaside with her guy of choice, I just couldn't say no. And I'm so glad I didn't! Kazuki's route was ****_to die for_****! The falls, the stares, the hearts pounding out of control, sweet words in the sunset *happy sigh*—I absolutely loved it! And Yousuke's route was really sweet too! A combo of the two would've been the absolute dreamiest seaside date ever! (^_^)v**

**Okay, now on a more story-related note, the song this time is Steven Curtis Chapman's _Cinderella_. There are so many beautiful videos of fathers and daughters dancing to this song (like this one with a father and his three daughters aged 6, 12, and 20 [youtube…com/watch?v=-eYTziR6h-8] and again at 8, 14, and 20 [oldest daughter couldn't come to the show]: youtube…com/watch?v=4GgHZDlzLyU). I seriously just cried and cried watching/listening to them.**

**Here's the official Youtube video: youtube****…**com/watch?v=nrWMBC6yoME

**Here's a Youtube alternative: vevo…com/watch/steven-curtis-chapman/cinderella/US 82Y0900011. (Delete the extra space between the US and the rest; I can't get this thing to not do it.)**

* * *

Kazuki snuck a look at his youngest child clad in a light pink T-shirt and hot pink shorts as she blithely swayed and tripped around his study in a strange pattern that was only known to her.

Kasumi had always been a little different. In a family of musicians, she was the dancer. His mother-in-law thought it might be the way the Hihara athleticism had decided to manifest itself. Well, however it came to be, unlike her siblings, she'd never been fascinated with the instruments that produced music, nor, in some sense, had she even really been interested in music for its own sake. Music was simply a setting for dancing.

**She spins and she sways to whatever song plays  
Without a care in the world**

He tapped his pencil on the desk as he grimly looked at the blank paper in front of him. If he couldn't raise more money for the music program, he'd be out of a job!

**And I'm sitting here wearing the weight of the world on my shoulders**

He closed his eyes and clutched his hair. With three children, he couldn't afford to be unemployed! Kaho-chan could pick up more solo work, but he knew with every new thing she took on, between all the different practices, she'd get that much less time with family, and only getting to see the kids a few times a week would kill her.

**It's been a long day, and there's still work to do**

He mussed up his hair in agitation. He had to think of some awesome fundraisers. Why weren't the ideas flowing? Usually coming up with fun ways to help people interact with music was a cinch.

**She's pulling at me saying, "Dad I need you!"**

"Dance with me, Daddy!" Kasumi called gaily from where she was doing an energetic prancing whirl in the corner.

"I'm sorry, honey, but Daddy's busy." He gave her a regretful smile. "Why don't you play with your siblings?"

**"**But **[t]here's a ball at the castle, and I've been invited**,**"** she insisted as she ran over to tug on him. **"And I need to practice my dancin'**.**"**

"Kasumi…now isn't a good time."

"But no one else can be Prince Charming," she wheedled with those big golden eyes of hers that she knew he could never resist.

His heart melted into a puddle.

**"Oh, please, Daddy, please?"** she begged.

With a sigh and a smile, he let her pull him to his feet. "Alright."

"Yay!" she screamed as she thundered down the hall hollering for her siblings. He laughed when he heard his wife scold her, telling her to use her indoor voice. His heart already felt lighter.

By the time he made it out to the living room, Kanae and Kazuya were in place at the violin and piano, respectively, with Kasumi beaming happily with her arms stretched out to him. And with a tender smile, he took her hands and they began a lively skipping dance.

**So I will dance with Cinderella**

With a large grin, he spun and swung her in large circles, sending her green hair flying as she laughed in delight. Once she came back down, she jumped back into his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. Beaming at her, he cocked her on his hip and rocked and swayed in time with the music.

**While she is here in my arms**

A strange look crossed his face. Had she always been this heavy?

"Daddy, what's wrong?"

He shook his head and smiled affectionately at her.

**'Cause I know something the prince never knew**

"What could be wrong? I'm dancing with the prettiest girl at the ball."

Her smile could have lit up a third-world nation.

**Oh, I will dance with Cinderella**

He put her down and twirled her under his arm. And let her pull him around the room as she ran in circles.

With a laugh, he lifted her up high like a plane and spun around. Then, pulling her into a hug as the song finished, he rubbed noses with her. "And now, it is time for your bath."

**I don't want to miss even one song**

"What?!" She tried to wiggle away. "But I need to go to the ball!"

"No, you need to go to the tub," he countered playfully as he hauled his squirming child to the bathroom. "And you two have to wash up tonight too," he called back to his older children, "so you'd better get that homework done!"

His grin stretched even wider as he heard them groan with their mother laughing in the background.

**'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight**

The house fell quiet as all the children slept in their beds. Once again at his desk, Kazuki wrote furiously, ideas streaming out of him in a torrent. He beamed when a pair of hands covered his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," his wife giggled.

He moved her hands off his eyes and pulled her down for a light kiss.

With a curious eye, Kahoko skimmed over some of his ideas and sketches. "These look good." She tapped one. "I think the school board will really like this." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Let me know if there's anything you need help with."

"Thanks," he grinned. Then, he went quiet.

"What is it?" Kahoko murmured as she snuggled up behind him.

"It just hit me again when we were dancing." He sighed. "Kasumi's in elementary school now."

**And she'll be gone**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Following family tradition, Kasumi attended Seiso Academy, but in their General Studies Department unlike her siblings. Kazuki had to admit was a bit of a shock to see his youngest daughter looking like a carbon copy of her mother (minus her hair color and style: short because it was easier to keep out of her face) when she put on her uniform for the first time her second year. It was pure coincidence that she was also a red scarf year, but still….

She was taking advanced dance classes at the community center, and when she graduated from Seiso, she intended to study dance in Tokyo. He was glad she'd still be close by, especially with Kanae studying music in Vienna and Kazuya leaving for a couple of years to further his trumpet studies in Germany. With all his children growing up and leaving, it was nice to know that his baby girl was still local. But he wished she were a little less popular with the boys!

With her father's friendly personality tempered with her mother's calmer nature, Kasumi was never at a loss for friends. Well, none of his children ever had been, but he would've preferred if his baby didn't attract quite so many of the male variety! It was worse than with her mother!

"Nuh-uh!" He shook his head with a pout. "No way."

"Why not?" Kasumi protested.

"We already had this conversation when you were ten." He crossed his arms over his chest. "No boys until you're at least forty."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Daddy, be serious. Even you and Mom didn't wait that long. It's not even a real date. It's a music competition year, so they're holding a dance. He just wants a dance partner."

"Hah!" he barked as he pointed at her. "That's just what he wants you to think! Teenage boys are devious, I tell you!"

"So you were devious?" Kahoko broke in with a raised eyebrow.

"Wh-wh-what?! N-n-n-n-n-no!" he sputtered. "Of-of course not!"

"Well then, what's the problem?"

"B-b-b-b-b-but-!"

**She says he's a nice guy, and I'd be impressed**

"You _know_ Etou-kun and his family," Kasumi added brightly. "He's a really nice guy."

"E-E-E-Etou?!" He looked ready to faint.

"Why don't you show your father your dress, Kasumi," Kahoko blithely suggested, temporarily ignoring her husband's meltdown. After about twenty-five years of marriage, you just learn to roll with some things.

"Y-you-you already have a-a _dress_?!" he wailed.

"Of course," Kasumi laughed from the stairs. She winked. "The dance is next week."

As soon as she disappeared into her room, Kazuki whirled on his wife. "No! She cannot go to this dance. I absolutely forbid it!"

Kahoko just smiled. "You let Kanae go."

"That was different! She was a competitor; she had to go! And, and she didn't, she didn't have a…a-a…a _date_." He spat out the word like it was poison.

"So…are you saying that all dates are bad?" she asked a bit wistfully.

His eyes widened in horror. "No!" He pulled her close to him. "Of course not." He earnestly searched her eyes. "It's just that-" he stopped up short when he caught the twinkle of humor in her eyes. Pouting, he petulantly declared, "This and that are totally different."

He heard a rustle of fabric behind him, signaling that his rebellious offspring had returned. He turned with an annoyed look in his eyes, and felt his mouth go slack.

**She wants to know if I approve of the dress**

"Well…" Kasumi fidgeted with the white flowing skirt, "how do I look?"

His eyes moved up and down, taking her in. With the cute little puffed sleeves and the flower broach on the deep maroon band, she somehow managed to look like a young woman and the sweet little girl of days past at exactly the same time. He gulped with slightly glassy eyes. "You look beautiful, sweetie."

Her smile radiated like the sun. "Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

**She says, "Dad, the prom is just one week away"**

She looked up at him hopefully. "You know, it's been awhile since I've done this kind of dancing…." She smiled winningly at him. "Will you dance with me now? Otherwise," she grinned, "I'm going to miss out on dancing with the best-looking guy I know."

**"And I need to practice my dancin'"**

His face pinkened in pleasure as her mother joked behind him, "Keep your hands off my man, you little home wrecker."

Both females laughed for a bit before Kasumi turned and held her hands out to him. **"Oh, please, Daddy, please?"**

He chuckled when he saw that his wife had already readied her violin. Sometimes, he swore the woman was psychic. So he gave into the inevitable and bowed with a flourish as Kasumi giggled and curtsied.

**So I will dance with Cinderella**

The two fell easily into a waltz, going from the box, to the turning box, into a traveling step, and an underarm turn.

**While she is here in my arms**

"You're pretty good at this," she complimented. "I'd figured you'd forgotten. The last time we did the waltz was—what?—a couple years ago?"

"I had a good teacher," he responded with a smile.

**'Cause I know something the prince never knew**

His heart warmed when he noticed she was wearing the locket she had gotten for her tenth birthday. Then, his eyes saddened a bit when he realized anew that that had been almost seven years ago.

"Dad?"

He shook his head with a small smile, blinking back the moisture, and turned the conversation to happier topics.

**Oh, oh, oh, oh, I will dance with Cinderella**

The two danced and swayed into the evening, laughing and talking, and eventually swapping out Kahoko with Kazuya when he came home from afternoon classes.

"Mom, make them stop!" he complained from the refrigerator during a water break as she cut up some vegetables for sukiyaki. "I almost can't feel my lips anymore."

With an amused smile, she poked her head out at the pair and stated, "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." Her eyes twinkled. "At that time, this house will be declared a no dancing zone."

**I don't want to miss even one song**

Kazuki grinned at Kasumi. "Better make it count then." He swept her into a quick spin around the room that made her shout in surprised laughter.

**'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight**

The day of the dance came, and Kazuki had to admit he was a bit thrown by just how much of a mix Tomoya Etou was of his parents. Considering that the boy had offered to bring his little girl home a whole hour earlier than her usual curfew, he was starting to admit that maybe he'd misjudged him (proving that Tomoya truly was as wise as his name).

Tears stung annoyingly at his eyes as he snapped pictures of them before they headed off. As he stared at the playback screen, his chest felt tight. When had she grown up?

**And she'll be gone**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The family of five snapped a picture together as they surrounded Kasumi holding her high school diploma. And a couple years later, a photograph of twenty-year-old Kasumi posing sweetly in an exquisite orange and white kimono with her coming-of-age ceremony certificate joined it in the family photo album. Playbills for her various lead performances also littered the pages of passing time.

**She will be gone**

~ . ~ . ~ . ~

Despite being under the watchful eye of her somewhat overprotective father, Kasumi was not…gifted with the copious amounts of denseness Kanae had inherited, so when Kasumi started dating in college, Kahoko wasn't anywhere near as floored as her husband. Nor was she that surprised when Hisashi Tsuchiura came to them a little before Kasumi's twenty-fifth birthday asking for permission to marry her.

Kazuki sat stiffly and stared at the clock. Tonight was the night. What would she say? When would happen when she got home? Where was she?! Surely she should've been home by now!

"Calm down," Kahoko laughed beside him where she was skimming a magazine. "You're making me nervous just watching you."

"Sorry, it's just-"

They heard the lock on the door click. And the moment he saw her face, he _knew_.

**Well, she came home today with a ring on her hand**

Throwing her arms around his neck, she squealed out her excitement and joy. "Oh, Daddy, look!" She flashed him her ring. "I'm engaged! Oh, Daddy!" She hugged him again and rushed over to her mother to tell her all about it.

He just turned and watched the two happy faces chatter in excitement. He was happy, but there was an aching hole in him that made him feel numb and detached from the scene beside him. It was so odd. He'd have thought having one daughter married already would've made this easier, but it was completely different.

**Just glowing and telling us all they had planned**

"Dad? Daddy? Hellooo? Anybody home?" Kasumi laughed as she waved her hand in front of his face.

He snapped out of his daze. "Huh? Sorry," he shook his head, "you were saying something?"

She grinned. "Hisashi-san said that since he knows how much I love to dance, if I'd like, we could do the traditional dances that they do in American weddings at the reception. You know, like the first dance, father-daughter, and mother-son."

"Uh huh." He nodded mechanically only half-processing the words.

"…talked to his mother and she's already agreed…."

"Right."

"…I know six months isn't a lot of time-"

That snapped him out of it. "Six months?! The ceremony's in six months?!"

**She says, "Dad, the wedding's still six months away"**

She raised her eyebrows. "Have you heard anything I've been saying?"

He looked slightly guilty. "Umm…sort of?"

She and her mother shared and amused glance. They really should've known better.

"The whole family is going to New York because Tsuchiura-san is performing at the Lincoln Center. I've always wanted to go to New York to see Broadway, watch a show by the American Ballet Theatre, and stuff like that, so we were thinking we'd tag along and then split off and have the rest of our honeymoon."

He jerked a mechanical nod. It made sense.

**"But I need to practice my dancin'"**

"I know you don't really like to dance in public, but would you do a father-daughter dance with me at the reception?" She bit her lip. "Six months isn't a lot of time to prepare, but if you'd like, we could choreograph something or just wing it, whatever would make you more comfortable." Her sunlit eyes shone with hope. **"Oh, please, Daddy, please?"**

A twinge of bitter sweetness flickered in his eyes before he slowly stepped forward and gave a princely bow. Holding out his hand and looking up, he asked, "May I have this dance?"

"Oh thank you, Daddy!" Her face glowed as she curtsied and fell into his arms in a waltz hold.

**So I will dance with Cinderella**

Tears stung in his eyes as he and his daughter swayed together in a slow dance before all the wedding guests six months later.

**While she is here in my arms**

She had opted for a white reception dress not unlike the dress she'd worn for the Seiso ball with its simple, but graceful, flowing skirt. Her wedding band caught the light as they pulled back for a minute and he smiled tenderly. His little girl all grown up.

**'Cause I know something the prince never knew**

He gave her a little spin that elicited a small giggle, and suddenly, he was back in the living room swinging her around and around in the air with the rest of the family playing accompaniment with large smiles. And with a random waltz step, fourteen-year-old Kasumi was demonstrating for him the rise and fall of the dance after her first class at the community center.

**Oh, oh, oh, oh, I will dance with Cinderella**

A few glistening trails made their way down his face before he could stop them. She gave him a sweet smile and brushed the moisture from his cheeks.

**I don't want to miss even one song**

Blinking hard, he pulled her in for a hug and they rocked together with glassy eyes as they both fought not to cry. They both knew this would be the last time.

**'Cause all too soon, the clock will strike midnight**

"How're you taking it?" Takeo asked his son-in-law quietly afterward.

Kazuki smiled sadly at his father-in-law. They both knew that he was happy and proud, but…"I don't know which is harder," he sighed. "Kanae was my first, but Kasumi is the baby."

"It goes fast, doesn't it?"

He didn't answer for a while. Just as Takeo was about to leave, Kazuki suddenly turned to him. "Thank you."

He looked surprised. "For what?"

**And she'll**

Kazuki looked over at his children as they stood with their mother. Though her fiery locks had streaks of silver running through it, her eyes still sparkled with the life he'd always admired. "For letting her go so she could be with me."

The older man cracked a smile. "Go to them. They'll be leaving tomorrow."

**Be **

Tears swam in his amber eyes as they waved good-bye to all their children from the security gate.

**Gone**

Putting an arm around his wife, they watched the planes leave from the window. They smiled softly at each other. A whole new phase of life was opening up before them. With a tender look, he kissed her temple, and they walked back to the car hand-in-hand.

* * *

**And this is the end. I have to admit, I think out of the three, this story is my favorite. It just flowed out of me more easily than the others for some reason, and I think things blended nicely for the most part.**

**My mom really liked the idea of this song as the father-daughter because she thought it would be good to dance to. I also thought it would be nice, but in the end, my husband and I ended up doing a joint father-daughter and mother-son dance because my mother-in-law really doesn't like to dance. She even tried to get out of it the day of! Isn't that funny? XD**

**Here's a picture of the dress Kasumi wore for the dance: i758****…**photobucket**…**com/albums/xx230/GoldheartJessy/Decorated images/girlintree**…**jpg. (Leave the space. If you have a smart browser, it will find it.)  


**Tentsubasa's Japanese Corner:**

**In Japan, wedding ceremonies are really more of a formality than anything because the couple is married once they both sign a marriage application and city hall sends them a certificate thingy. Then if they want to, they go and have their ceremony to formalize the deal to family (and friends).**

**So in Japanese weddings, they do costume changes. The bride will change from her ceremony clothes to reception clothes to traveling clothes. There might be one more set of clothes that I'm forgetting, but I know there are at least those three.**

**They also don't usually dance, but they do have entertainment for everyone to watch during the reception, so I figured I'd fudge it a little and have them do the traditional dances as part of the entertainment.**

**Sorry again for the late update, and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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